Carstens Lake News

Darren Kuhn has collected many stories in his career as a recreation safety warden, along with a strong desire for people to stay safe while having fun. Kuhn, who works for the state Department of Natural Resources, recently spoke to the Manitowoc County Lakes Association during a meeting in Manitowoc.

Notes: Several years ago, the DNR poisoned off the lake and a fish weir was installed within the inlet stream to block off the spawning runs of rough fish from Lake Michigan. Adult northern pike and bass have been planted to restock the lake.

Statistics

Surface Area: 21 acres

Depth: Max 28′, Mean 12′

Bottom: 0% sand, 0% gravel, 0% rock, 99% muck

Shorelength: .8 mi

Lake Type: Deep Seepage. Deep Seepage lakes stratify, or form separate layers of water, during the summer months and have no inlet or outlet.

Secchi Disk: Average summer reading 5.25 ft. (SE Georegion average 7.4 ft.)
Summer (July/Aug) water was reported as MURKY and GREEN. This suggests that the secchi depth may have been mostly impacted by suspended sediments, tiny particles of soil or organic matter that are suspended in the water. High suspended sediments are often found in flowages and impoundments where precipitation runoff from the watershed transports solids via an incoming stream.

Chemistry:
Average summer Chlorophyll 55.4 µg/l (SE Georegion average 31.6 µg/l).
Average summer Total Phosphorus73.5 µg/l.
Lakes that have more than 20 µg/l and impoundments that have more than 30 µg/l of total phosphorus may experience noticeable algae blooms.

Trophic State Index (TSI):65/Eutrophic.What does this mean?Eutrophic lakes are high in nutrients and contain large populations of plants, algae, and fish, which often grow to nuisance levels, and the fish species are generally tolerant of warm temperatures and low oxygen conditions. Phosphorus can fuel algae blooms.This TSI usually suggests decreased clarity, fewer algal species, oxygen-depleted bottom waters during the summer, plant overgrowth evident, warm-water fisheries (pike, perch, bass, etc.) only.

Carstens Lake News

Lake Director: Brian Robley

Darren Kuhn has collected many stories in his career as a recreation safety warden, along with a strong desire for people to stay safe while having fun. Kuhn, who works for the state Department of Natural Resources, recently spoke to the Manitowoc County Lakes Association during a meeting in Manitowoc.

Gene Weyer, water quality testing director and former president of the Manitowoc County Lakes Association, displayed graphs of phosphorous levels on 16 area lakes to those gathered at the association’s Feb. 21 meeting.

Jan 7, 2017 – The Manitowoc County Soil and Water Conservation Department has made a commitment in their new 10 year plan (Land and Water Resource Management Plan 2016-2026) to reduce phosphorous in Carstens Lake by 20% before 2026.